Hit Me With Your Best Shot
by OrAnGe Is A cOlOr
Summary: Draco Malfoy has something under his sleeve. A challenge for Hermione. A bet with Blaise Zabini. And Draco is playing puppet master. But will he be the one that ends up on the strings?
1. Challenge

Disclaimer: Only the PLOT belongs to me. The rest is J.K. Rowling's. Now it's been a while since I updated this story, so I forgot all of my login info, but I was going back through and I really liked the story and I've got a lot of extra time on my hands right now, so I figured I'd go ahead and work on it again.

Chapter 1: Challenge

Hermione's POV

Yes! The week was finally over! It had been terrible. It started out with listening all night long to the two loud-mouths I share a room with talk about the stupid ferret that absolutely insists on insulting me every chance he gets. And then I found out that everybody was just pranking me about having a Potions test! I studied so hard I thought my brain would explode! And imagine my embarrassment when I asked Snape about the test and he asks me if I'm so eager to prove I'm a Know-It-All that I would make up a test! Then the next day, Harry decides that he wants to try out a few new spells and ends up giving me the longest beard in the world! Sheesh! It just kept getting worse and worse.

"Going somewhere, Mudblood?" a snide voice asked. Speaking of worse. _Just ignore him, Hermione. Maybe if you don't see him, he'll go away. _"Well…?" _So much for that plan._

"What does it matter to you, Ferret?" I retorted without turning. I had been on my way back up to my dormitory to try to catch up on some much needed sleep and I did not want to be deterred by this bigot.

"It doesn't," he replied in a cold voice. So I simply shrugged with my back still to him and continued on my merry way. But before I even took the third step his voice rang out again. "How rude. I'm just trying to converse and you can't even look at me." I sighed and finally turned around, rolling my eyes.

He was leaning up against a pillar, his mysterious grey eyes only hinted behind fine blonde hair falling casually into his face. He had that stupid, arrogant, annoyingly sexy smirk plastered to his face. Merlin, I hated that boy.

I shrugged yet again and smirked back at him. I knew he was up to something and Merlin knows how my curiosity could and usually did get the best of me. His smirk got bigger. "So the Mudblood does have a few manners. I thought you might've been raised by animals. But then, I get Muggles are the equivalent, huh?"

I ground my teeth together and tried to control my temper flaring in me. I shouldn't let him get to me like this. "Now let's see here. What is a slimy snake doing the far out by the Gryffindor Common Rooms? What could _possibly_ bring you this far into the lion's den, Ferret?"

His eyes gleamed. "So which am I? A ferret or snake?" I smiled.

"It doesn't matter. They're both disgusting." Just as soon as the anger had come into his eyes, it was gone again, replaced with amusement.

"In answer to your question, Granger, I came out this way looking for you," he said, watching me like a cat might watch a mouse.

For my part, I thought I took that very well. My wand was drawn in a second and I was watching him intensely. "Why?" I hissed, suspiciously. He chuckled and crossed his arms, shifting his feet and leaning back up against the pillar just as comfortable and at ease as you please.

"I have a challenge for you." I felt my body relax a fraction and my eyes light up. I loved a challenge. It gave me a chance to prove I was just as good if not better than all the other "pure blood" witches and wizards out there that thought they were so much better than me. The only one that really could rival my wits was standing in front of me, challenging, taunting me with that smirk of his. He knew I'd bite the bait.

"A challenge?" I asked apprehensively. I did not trust this snake. He just nodded, his amusement clear in his eyes. "What kind of challenge?"

He dropped his arm back by his sides and shook his head. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist. But you just walked into the snake pit, Mudblood. This is something you'll never be able to pull off."

I tucked my wand in my pocket but left my hands at my sides, ready, just in case. I straightened my back and raised my head high. Suddenly I felt it. The pride that always came with showing someone up. Proving to them that you can do anything. _Tell me I can't? Stand back and watch me. _I started walking towards him and his smirk faltered. I was closing the ten feet we had silently agreed to. I stopped just a couple feet from him.

"Watch me," I whispered. "Now what's the undoable challenge? Come on. Hit me with your best shot" I grinned inwardly at the uncertainty on his face. He looked like he was reevaluating something in his head. But the he just sneered back at me and closed the last couple of feet, staring directly into my eyes. I could feel my eyes widen. I'd never been this close to him. I could see blue freckles in his grey eyes.

"Don't play with fire, Granger. You'll only get burned. The challenge is to get Blaise Zabini to kiss you. Simple." My jaw dropped. Zabini? To kiss me? He saw my panic and grinned like a little boy coming down the stairs at Christmas to find the thing he wanted most in the world under the tree.

"And why in the hell would I even want to do that?" It wasn't really that I hated Zabini. He was just cold with girls. He wanted one thing and it didn't matter how he got it. Then, as soon as he did, he left them high and dry. Malfoy shrugged.

"I'm bored. I need entertainment. And you love a challenge." I nodded disbelievingly.

"And what do you get out of this if you win?" I asked warily.

"Oh that's the fun part," he said grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "If I win, you have to take your proper place in the world and be my slave for a month." I cringed at the very thought of running behind the ferret like a lap dog.

"And if I win?" I asked hopefully.

"Then I will pronounce to the entire Hogwarts population that you – a Mudblood – are better than me in every aspect and I will be your slave for a month." I weighed it out. He wouldn't be offering that unless he knew I had slim to none chance of winning. And those were exactly the kind of odds I like to beat. I steeled myself and looked straight into his eyes. He knew I was going to do it.

"How long would I have to pull it off?" I asked.

"I'll give you two weeks. Deal?" he asked holding out his hand.

"Deal," I replied, shaking his hand resolutely with mine. I would win.

Malfoy turned to stalk off, but before he got too far, he turned back and said, "Oh. And Granger? A little heads up? Blaise hates you even more than I do. Good luck!" he said cheerfully as he continued to walk off laughing as I just stared at him with my jaw on the ground. What did I get myself into?

Author's Notes: Well everyone I hope you liked it. Please review. It really helps when I know what to improve. Oh. And this is kind of like a sequel to my old story Not My Day by Tigdream.


	2. Don't Mess With This Lioness

Disclaimer: Second verse, same as the first. A little louder and a whole lot worse! Lol. Basically… I don't own Harry or his friends.

Chapter 2: Don't Mess With This Lioness

The next morning I woke up around the time that I usually do on the weekends: eight o' clock. It was late enough to where I felt like I'd slept in, but early enough to still get things done. Memories from last night flooded through my mind and I suddenly wished I could go back to bed. How on Earth was I going to get that git to kiss me? We didn't even have a hate relationship for me to work with. We had nothing. Well, maybe that was an advantage. I had a clean slate with him. But didn't Malfoy say that he despised me? Ugh! How dare he hate me? I'd never done anything to the prat! But then again, all the Slytherins hated me for one reason or another. And they all hated me on different levels. I knew that Parkinson and Malfoy hated me the most. And then there were the Greengrasses. And it continued from there. It was kind of funny that I'd never even thought of Zabini at all, but then again he never talked. He never sneered or smirked. He's never made himself known, but it turns out he hates me more than Malfoy. Stupid Slytherin.

I silently got up and went about my morning business, still dreading going to the Great Hall. I knew Malfoy would be watching me, smirking and waiting to see what I'd do. Then it hit me. Malfoy was going to win unless I pulled myself together. I was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake! I never lost, and I certainly wasn't about to start. Especially to that ferret! It was only a kiss. I could do this. Even if it was _him_ who had to kiss _me_, I could do this. Sitting on my bed, brushing my impossible tangle of curls, I began to strategize. What did I know of Zabini? I thought for a moment. I knew he was a player. I knew he always chose the "hottest" girls at Hogwarts. What else? I knew he was good in Potions and Transfiguration. I thought a little harder. That was all I knew about him.

Okay. So for the next couple days, I would just research Blaise Zabini. That was, after all, what I did best. I'd study him. I'd learn his habits, schedule, and anything else I could find out about him. By the end of the week I'd know him better than his own mother. Then, the next week I'd work on the kiss. I knew how impossible it seemed that I would get him to kiss me in two weeks, but I wasn't about to give up. So, with the vision of that irritating smirk on Malfoy's face, I marched myself down to the Common Room to meet my friends.

When I got downstairs I was graced with the sight of Ginny levitating an upside down Ron. Harry was rolling on the floor laughing. And so was everyone else for that matter.

"Good morning, everyone," I giggled.

Ginny just nodded in my direction, her intense brown eyes never leaving her protesting brother. Harry got up with some difficulty and made his way towards me, laughing all the way. "Morning, Mione."

I couldn't help but giggle at all of the chaos. I figured I'd have to stop it eventually, being a prefect and all, but why rush?

"What'd he do this time?" I asked as Ginny began to bounce Ron up and down in mid-air.

"He told her that the next time he saw her and Seamus snogging that he would punish her severely. She didn't like that too much," Harry said, sobering up a little bit. I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. I knew how much he liked Ginny and how much it hurt to see her with Seamus. I felt the same way when I saw Lavender and Ron together. But he didn't see that Ginny wasn't all that into Seamus anyway. He didn't see how she looked at him when she thought no one was paying any attention. I did. Maybe after these next two weeks were over, I'd play matchmaker. I decided now would be a good time to let Ron out of his misery so I walked over and tapped Ginny on the shoulder.

She grinned slyly at me. "Yes, Hermione?"

I played along and asked in a sing-song voice, "What ya doin'?"

She shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just hanging."

"Oh, yeah. I see that. Well I'm hungry. So put the oaf down and let's get something to eat."

She reluctantly put him down none-too-gently and grumbled as she left the Common Room with Seamus at her heels.

"Thanks, Mione," Ron choked out. "I thought she was going to hang me from the ceiling or something."

"Well, Ronald, you would have deserved it for butting into her business. Seamus is her boyfriend. It's none of your business what they do," I scolded him.

"The bloody hell it isn't!" he exclaimed. "That's my sister! My _little_ sister! If anything happened to her, I'd be dead. My parents would bury me six feet under. Alive!"

I rolled my eyes at his dramatics. "Ronald, you are such a drama queen," I held my hand up when he tried to argue and continued, "Come on. I really am hungry."

We made our way down to the Great Hall and over to the Weasley twins. I sat down by George and cheerfully said, "Morning!"

But George wasn't paying any attention to me. Both Fred and George were grinning wickedly at Ron. "So, Ron, I heard your morning has been a little… upside down today," Fred snickered.

"Shut up," Ron mumbled around the bit of roll in his mouth.

I rolled my eyes. I knew they would just continue from there and I really wasn't in the mood to listen. So I decided to put Plan Study Zabini into action. Out the corner of my eye, I saw something that simply demanded my attention. Okay. First pancakes, and then put Plan Study Zabini into action. I loaded some pancakes onto my plate and drowned them in butter and syrup. May they rest in peace. I was about to stuff the first bite into my mouth, when a voice from behind suddenly made me lose my appetite.

"Ronnykins," she said in her little whiney voice, "why didn't you wait for me?" She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to bring attention to her breasts and pouted in what I'm sure she thought was an attractive way. It just made me want to puke. I shoved the pancakes away and Harry, Ginny, Fred, and George all looked at me apologetically.

"Well, Lav Lav, Hermione was ready to go, so we all went," Ron said through a mouthful of eggs.

Lavender glared at us both. "Oh, I see," she huffed. "So _Hermione_ is more important than me?" I wasn't too keen on the way she sneered my name.

"Oh, of course I'm not, Lavender. Ron is all too happy to drop his friend since first year for such an imprudent girl like you," I sneered. I picked up my belongings and left Ron and Lavender gaping after me as the other four barely contained their grins.

As I started to storm off, I heard Lavender huff indignantly, "_What_ did she just say to me?" I rolled my eyes. Of course she wouldn't know what I said had actually meant. I glanced over to the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy smirking wickedly at me while Zabini just sat there eating. That was when I decided that studying Zabini first wasn't going to work well with me. I was going to get him to kiss me. And Ron would feel what I felt every day when I saw him snuggled up to "Lav Lav." Oh yes. Zabini was going to kiss me. Malfoy was going to lose. And Ron was going to realize that I was perfect for him.

I shot Malfoy a glare as I walked out of the Great Hall. _They are all going to see that you do not mess with this lioness_, I thought as I ran to the library to begin planning.

**Draco's POV**

I watched with deep satisfaction as Granger stormed out of the Great Hall. I could feel the pure, unadulterated hate in the glare she had shot me before she left. I knew she was angry with the Weasel. Hell, everybody knew she was head over heels for the boy. Everybody except the animal himself. I knew he wasn't observant, but honestly, you'd have to be blind not to see the adoring looks Granger sent him, or the way she seemed to cling to his words, or the way she lit up when he was around. Sickening and unhealthy as it was, she loved him. But I didn't care about that. I cared about my bet with Blaise….

**Blaise's POV**

Stupid Draco with his stupid bets and that stupid Mudblood. How dare he think that I could ever have feelings for that little know-it-all? I mean, everyone knew she had grown into herself. She wasn't that awkward little girl she had been five years ago. She was a woman now, with a woman's body. And a nice body at that. Her curves had filled out in all the right places and her bushy hair had been tamed a little bit since she was eleven. She was short, petite, but it was cute. It went well with her features. And I have to admit, she was damn sexy when she got all haughty with Malfoy. That fire burned in her eyes and her body got all tight with tension. Granger was a vixen. Every guy had noticed it. Well, maybe except for Weasel, but he didn't look much farther than his plate to see what was right in front of him, pining for his attention. He didn't notice those plump lips of hers pouting when he ignored her. Or her eyes, staring with such passion that it could melt the stars. He didn't see that. But every other male in Hogwarts did. Including me.

But that hardly meant I had feelings for her. She was sexy as hell and I wanted her. End of discussion. But Malfoy didn't believe me. And when I had tried to argue my point, he just shoved off my excuses and offered me a bet. And damn if I didn't take it. Draco and I had been friends for years, always making bets. He usually won, though, because he always pulled strings, making his puppets do whatever he wanted. But this was one bet that I was going to win. I was going to be in control this time. And I'd be damned if Malfoy took this victory away from me.


	3. Changes

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. That honor is J.K. Rowling's.

Sorry for late update. I've actually been writing this with one hand cause my thumb was shot in a dramatic event and the doctor finally took the pins out of my thumb and now I have to be even more careful with my thumb. So… Yeah. It's been interesting. Anyway. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Changes

**Hermione's POV**

I hated men. It was as simple as that. I hated men that ignored what was right in front of them. I hated cocky, arrogant bastards. And I hated men that hated me for no good reason and wouldn't kiss me. I hated them all. I was too heated to think about Ronald and that… that… bimbo. So, I focused all of my attention on this bet. Zabini would kiss me and Malfoy would eat his words. Undoable challenge, my arse. I started thinking. Zabini liked tall, blonde, and beautiful girls. Oh. And pureblood. I was petite with brown bushy locks, average looking, and Muggle born. So I was 0 for 4. Great. I banged my head against the table I was sitting at. What was I going to do?

Then a thought popped into my head. I sat up, alert. Zabini wanted a beauty? Well damn it, I'd give him one. I jumped out of my seat quickly, effectively knocking it over. I received a sharp glance from Madam Pince, but I was too belated to care as I picked the chair back up and stuffed my things inside my bag. I smirked as I set off out of the library to find the person I needed more than anyone. Malfoy had underestimated me greatly. He probably figured I'd go about this in a logical and Hermione-ish way. And I admit that's how I started. But he didn't know how low I would stoop to win. To prove him wrong. I would go so low, I'd be farther down than his reserved spot in the seventh circle of hell.

I ran up to the Gryffindor Common Room and headed straight up to my dorm that I shared with Lavender Brown, aka, bint, and Padma Patile. When I got into the room, it was empty. I threw my stuff down and went back down to search the grounds. I needed her now more than ever. If ever.

I went by the Black Lake to check Harry's, Ron's, and my favorite spot. No luck there. I searched the Great Hall, but to no prevail. I checked the astronomy tower, the Quidditch Pitch, everywhere. Finally, I gave up. I would see her later anyway. I decided to go back to my haven in the library and catch up on some reading. I didn't feel like doing any homework at the moment. Besides, all I had to get done was one essay for Charms. No biggie. I found a book that I had been meaning to read for a while now and settled into my favorite chair before opening the book and allowing its contents to overpower my senses.

**Draco's POV**

"Ahh," I moaned as Pansy bounced herself up and down on me. I gripped her hips, digging in hard enough to leave marks. I smirked. She hated when I left marks on her body. Oh well.

"Mmm, Draco," she panted, getting closer to the brink. She laced her fingers through my hair and tugged my face closer to hers so that she could land a searing kiss on my lips. She was a sexy little kitten. She moaned even harder as her walls clamped around my dick. A split second later she pulled away to scream loudly as she came all over my dick. Feeling her juices on me sent me over the edge and I groaned her name loudly as I came with her, slowly rocking in and out of her, riding it out. She slumped against me for a moment, catching her breath before finally getting off of me to try to find her clothes.

"How was that?" she asked nonchalantly, finding her bra on the doorknob and slipping it on. I shrugged my indifference. Even though the sex was good, I didn't like the talking that came afterwards. She knew that. So she quietly finished putting herself together.

"You know, Draco, one of these days I really should ask you for some kind of commitment. We've been doing this since fourth year and you've never shown the least bit of interest in me outside of the bedroom." She was currently trying to tame her sex-mussed hair. Again I just shrugged. It was true. Two years of great sex and I still hadn't asked her for anything more. I just didn't feel as though she could offer me anything outside of the bedroom. Or the shower. Or the dungeons. Or broom closets… The point was Pansy Parkinson just wasn't someone I wanted to see exclusively. She was just some girl to get a good romp from. Besides that all she wanted to do was gossip. And that kind of insentient banter got really old, really fast. Sure she was sexy, but there were plenty of sexy girls strutting their stuff through these halls. If Pansy decided to leave my bed, it would be easy to replace her. She just wasn't worth the effort.

"The bedroom is where you shine, Parkinson," I said impassively. She just nodded and for half a second I could have sworn I saw a tear in her eye. But I quickly dismissed it. She should know better than to bring the subject up. She knew I wasn't going to take into account her feelings. I didn't love her. End of story. She gave me a quick peck and hurriedly left.

I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. Why did she have to try to complicate this? It was good sex. Great sex, even. But there was no way I would enter into a relationship with her. I looked disdainfully at my mess of a bed. I got my wand off the night stand and muttered a short cleaning spell before collapsing back on the nice clean sheets. Turning over, I started thinking about my bet with Blaise. I knew he really didn't have any feelings for the mudblood and I knew she'd gotten sexy, but it was too much fun messing with him. And especially with her. I closed my eyes and thought about the day Blaise and I had made the bet.

_Granger had just stalked off with her two body guards who were muttering about how they were going to hex me into oblivion. I smirked and walked into the Great Hall with Blaise and Pansy. _

"_That stupid Mudblood is going to get what's coming to her one of these days," Pansy was saying. "How dare she talk to you like that? Who the bloody hell does she think she is?"_

_I just rolled my eyes. She thought she was better than everyone is what she thought. When in all reality she was less that the dirt on my expensive Gurglegore shoes. Little Know-It-All, always ready with an answer. She never backed down from me, like most would in her position. She even looked me in the eye when insulting me. It was infuriating. We sat at the table and I started piling food onto my plate. Pansy just grabbed one piece of unbuttered toast, as usual. Blaise just sipped lightly on his black coffee. Neither one of them were breakfast people. I liked my three square meals a day. I'd burn it all off in Quidditch practice later anyway. _

_We sat in silence for a few moments, but I knew Pansy. She wouldn't let the fact that a lowly Mudblood had insulted me go. "I think we should hex her to give her boils all over her body. That'd teach her."_

_I rolled my eyes. "She'd just go to Madam Pomfrey to get them removed."_

"_Right, well… I got it! We could charm her clothes to become invisible to everyone else but her. She'd never know."_

"_So, what you're suggesting is that we would theoretically make her naked, exposing a known prude to bare her body to the entire Hogwarts, especially the male, population?" Blaise asked. "That would mean effectively having all the blokes in Hogwarts after her." _

_I raised an eyebrow. "And why would all the blokes be after her, Blaise?" I knew why. Granger had finally grown into a woman. Three years later than all the other girls our age, but still, she had quite the body. But I would never admit it out loud. _

"_The mudblood is sexy," Blaise said with a shrug. _

"_Oh, so you fancy yourself the filthy mudblood, don't you, Blaise? Wondering if it's just her blood that's filthy, huh?" Pansy sneered. I smirked at the slightly horrified look on Blaise's face. _

"_Oh, Pansy, I think you're right. I think he's smitten with Granger," I snickered. "Wants to marry her and have little half-blood spawn with her." Blaise glared hard at me. Weaker men would have run. I smirked harder. He was just too easy. _

"_You should know by now, Draco, to never confuse lust with love," he said, looking pointedly between me and Pansy. I glared back at him. _

"_I do know. But do you, Zabini?" He just looked at me. He knew what was coming next. "I bet you that if the mudblood came onto you, you wouldn't be able to resist. You'd gladly make love to her, kiss her sweetly, and share deep intimate secrets." _

_He smirked and Pansy's eyes widened in disgust. "Making love and fucking are two very different things. But either way, I could easily tell her to sod off. She's just a mudblood, Malfoy. I don't have any feelings other than hate and lust towards that filth. Not like, she'd ever bother to try. She's in love with that simpering Weasel."_

_I just smirked. "But if she did, you'd be willing to bet you could say no?" _

"_I know I could without this least bit of trouble. What's the wager?"_

_I looked briefly at Pansy. "What we talked about?" I asked him, sticking out my hand. His eyes widened momentarily, but then he just grinned and shook it. _

"_You're on."_

Off course, he couldn't have known that I would seek the mudblood out. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist the challenge. And of course, I knew she would go all out to win. I hated the prospect of becoming slave to the mudblood, but what Zabini had to offer was too precious to pass up.

**Hermione's POV**

"Hermione," someone whispered, shaking me awake. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Stretching, I looked at the person that had disturbed me and glared.

"What do you want, Ginny? Can't we see I was in the middle of something important?" I grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. "I heard you were looking for me. So when I got back from Hagrid's I came looking for you. Neville said you really wanted to talk to me. So, talk."

I looked at her hard for a second before it all clicked. And then I jumped and tackled her. "Shh!" I said urgently. I put my hand over her mouth and she was looking at me like I'd gone crazy. I dragged her back into the library. No one ever went back here because the only books that this section contained wee old books filled with the history of ancient wizarding places. Nobody ever cared about these things. And at the moment, neither did I.

I lifted my hand from Ginny's face and she wiped her mouth from where she had licked and slobbered on my hand in an attempt to shake me off. "What in the hell is your problem? Are you trying to kidnap me or something because I'm telling you right now, my brothers will pay for you to keep me. And then you still have to deal with me."

I rolled my eyes at her. "No, I'm not trying to kidnap you. I need you to do me a favor. I need you to make me sexy."

Now, I don't think it's normal for someone's jaw to reach the floor, so I was slightly worried when Ginny's dropped nearly that far. "Are you serious?" she asked incredulously.

I nodded. "Yes. I made a bet with the devil that I couldn't get Zabini to kiss me. And he likes sexy girls. I only have a little while to do this, so I need your help."

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up. Draco bet you that you couldn't get Blaise Zabini to kiss you? But why would he bet you that?" I loved how she knew exactly who the devil was. At least the devil in Hogwarts.

"I don't know. He said it was because he was bored. Of course I don't believe him, but he played with my pride and I agreed. So will you help me?" I gave her a puppy dog face, but it was unnecessary. Ginny had been dying to give me a makeover for years now and only my smart wand work had kept her away. She grinned ear to ear and nodded her head fervently.

"Of course," she said. Then she grabbed my wrist, saying, "Come on," as she tugged me away.

"Where in Merlin's beard are we going?" I asked pulling my arm back.

"Down to Hogsmead, of course," she said as if it were obvious. "We have to get started right away.

"Dinner will be starting soon," I argued. "And I'm hungry."

She gave an exasperated sigh. "Dinner doesn't start for another three hours. We have plenty of time. Now let's go. You have a deadline to meet and we have a lot of work to do."

I nodded, defeated, and reluctantly allowed myself to be dragged away from my safe haven in the library. Somehow I knew that I was leaving it, not for the last time, but for a while. I was entering uncharted territory, but I would do it fearlessly. Or at least seemingly fearless. That meant leaving behind the things that were safe. What was the old saying? You can't do things you've never done, if you don't go places you've never been. I wondered why some wizards looked down on muggles when muggles were geniuses. They had a saying for everything. They _knew_.

Ginny led me down the stairs, pass friends and enemies alike, and out the front doors. Nobody looked at us curiously. Nobody notices the know-it-all being dragged away. Was I really that plain? That much of a novelty? I mean, I knew these people saw me every day, but really! You'd think at least one of them would at least look up and say hi. A few did to Ginny. But not to me. They continued talking with their friends, ignoring the brunette being dragged out of school by the feisty red head.

Ginny had marched us down the path to Hogsmead in no time. She lead me immediately to the clothing store. A little _Ding!_ notified the clerk that we were here. The saleslady was in her mid-thirties and was dressed in stylish, yet inexpensive clothing. She had an average waistline and was storing more in the cellar than in the attic if you catch my drift. She had a large, sharp nose and beady green eyes that reminded me of the moss one would see in a swamp. Her eyebrows were placed up high and she had the permanent look of surprise etched into her small face. Her pale skin was emphasized by her dark hair, which was braided and pulled over her shoulder to hang over her small breasts. Her smile was the only thing that made her uniquely beautiful. All women had something exquisite. Hers was her beautiful smile. As we walked in she flashed us that stunning smile.

"What can I do for you, ladies?" she asked in a high, girlish voice.

Ginny took over. "My friend here has recently been through a bad breakup," Ginny lied with a mastery born of years of skirting around trouble with her brothers. "She was done horribly wrong and she wanted a little… retaliation. Can you help us?"

The woman's warm smile changed into a knowing, rueful one. "Certainly. We have plenty of pieces that will… bring justice to the cause. Now the situation? Are we just showing him what he's missing or getting someone new?" While she asked these questions, two thoughts were running through my head. 1) _Pieces? _2)_Hell really does have no fury like a woman's scorn._ As I looked into the woman's eyes, I could tell she had been served a great injustice and she knew her revenge.

"A little bit of both," I answered, taking over. I smiled a little bit, too, but quickly gave up when I realized it looked phony.

"Well, then, I know a few things that will do splendidly. Right this way, ladies. Oh, and by the way. My name is Asteria."

"That's a pretty name," I commented. "I'm Hermione and this is Ginny."

She nodded and smiled at the compliment. Then she gave me a quick once over. "Thank you. Now, here are a few things that are just about your size. They're not too trampy. You don't want to look like some desperate, trashy fool. But they will get the job done."

She waved her wand and a whole bunch of clothes went flying into the dressing room that she was currently pushing me towards. As I shut the door, I locked it behind me and took a few deep breaths. I ignored the mirror and stripped down before pulling on the first outfit. The shirt was a purple tank top with straps about an inch thick. It had a v-neckline just barely showed the top of my cleavage. The bottom was arched, the shortest part coming up right above my belly button, the longest part reaching my hips. Then I started pulling on the dark boot cut jeans. The top came up to be just below my belly button, effectively showing off my midriff. I put on a pair of flats. I then looked into the mirror.

Wow! I looked good. After smiling shyly at my reflection, I stepped out of the stall to await verdict. Ginny's eyes popped out of her head and Asteria smiled that smile of hers. "Honey," she said, staring at me gleefully, "you're not going to have a single problem showing that ex of yours what's what."

Ginny nodded fervently and smiled. "You look amazing, Mione. You're going to be a heartbreaker. Now get in there and try on the rest of those clothes. If they look half as hot as that, then I'd say we're all set."

I grinned at the both of them and went back into my stall. I proceeded to model the clothes for them and each time I got the same euphoric reaction. This was definitely the confidence booster I had been in desperate need of since Ron began trading in time with me for that idiotic bimbo. I grinned into the mirror as I had on my last killer outfit. It as hot red and sleeveless, clinging to my curves. Along with it, I had on a tight blue jean skirt. My feet were visible in my black, strappy heels. I knew that I would reserve this outfit as a last resort, but it felt good knowing I could look this sexy.

As I gathered all my things together and we went up to pay for everything using my Gringotts debit card, my head was buzzing with the fun of learning you could be diabolical and girlish all at once. Asteria gave us one last wink and we grinned and waved as we walked out of the store. I started walking back up to the castle when Ginny grabbed me yet again. I looked at her and she shook her head. I sighed, knowing I couldn't win and followed her without question.

She led us to a salon and I groaned.

"Aw, come one, Mione. It'll be fun," Ginny said, trying to console me. She knew how I felt about my hair.

"I don't want to," I whined childishly.

She put her hands on her hips and said firmly, "Well, tough froggies. You're going because you asked for my help and I'm going to help, damn it! Now march!" So I marched right into that salon. I sat in one of the empty chairs and waited for someone to come over.

"Aw, Ms. Weasley. What brings you in here on this nice autumn day? I distinctly recall cutting your beautiful, fiery hair a few weeks ago," came a beautiful masculine voice.

I turned and looked at the most gorgeous man born. His skin was tan and flawless. His arms were toned to perfection. He had thick, black wavy hair that shined and gorgeous blue eyes. I fell in love instantly.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, but I'm not here for me. I'd like you to see what you can do with my friend's hair, Mr. Anthony."

Mr. Anthony turned his gorgeous gaze on me. "Wow. Such lovely hair, if styled properly. Do you use any products, Ms…?"

"Granger," I mumbled, blushing. "Hermione Granger. And no."

He grinned. "Good. It would have made this condition worse. Now, to begin, we must wet it down. Follow me, please."

I would have followed this beautiful creature to the ends of the earth if he so bid it. Fortunately for me hormone-fuzzed brain, I didn't have to. Instead, I settled for walking a short distance into a small wash room with warm pink walls. He invited me in and I felt comfortable. Mr. Anthony gestured for me to take a seat at one of this sinks. Once settled, he turned his wand on me and with an expert hand, he wet my hair down so that it was a sleek curly mess. Then he paused. He seemed to take a moment to think and then pointed his wand at me once more. Before I even had time to blink, I felt my hair falling out. In a moment of panic, I let out a yelp. Then, just as quickly it stopped.

I put a shaking hand in my hair to feel the damage. Instead of feeling the usual abundance of hair that I felt after taking a shower, my hair felt lighter, but is was still long. With embarrassment, I realized that he'd only thinned it out. I blushed and gave him a shy smile and he chuckled a little bit. I knew then that he'd seen that reaction before.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but it was necessary. It'll be smooth sailing from here on out," he said, winking at me, causing me to blush deeper. I made myself comfortable and nodded at him. He stepped closer with some scissors and started snipping. Ginny was settled in a chair and was reading her favorite magazine _Witches and Wizards._

It didn't take long for Mr. Anthony to get the look he wanted. When he was finished, only a half hour had passed. "Alright, darling. You look much better if you don't mind me saying. Now you can see that beautiful face without all that hair getting in the way.

Ginny looked up and came over and gasped. My eyes got wider and I looked hurriedly into the mirror and gasped myself. Mr. Anthony had made taken off a lot of the weight, making my hair fall in tight ringlets instead of bushing up. I grinned at my new reflection.

"Mione, yet again, you look amazing! This is all you've been needing these last few years. It's a whole new you. Malfoy will be choking down his words tomorrow at breakfast. And Zabini will definitely be drooling!" She gave me a firm hug and paid Mr. Anthony. We thanked him as we stepped out of the shop.

"Now, we need to make one last stop and we'll be done," Ginny said, grinning.

I'd already given up with the whining and complaining, but my natural curiosity was not so yielding.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"We're going to get you a few accessories and makeup. Now come along."

We walked clear down to a little hidden boutique in the corner of the square. It was warm and smelled like midnight pomegranate, my favorite smell in the world. Ginny led me straight to the back, slipping in and out of the crowd of women with expert's ease. We chose a few items such as bracelets and rings and necklaces. I even let Ginny talked me into a "sexy" anklet. "It adds a little mystery," she had said. I swear she could be a used car sales _person_.

Then we moved a little to the right and picked out a couple cases of eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lip glosses. I paid for everything and we left carrying what seemed to be a million bags. We trudged our way back up to Hogwarts and dumped our purchases on my bed and I practically ran down to the Great Hall.

Harry, Ron, and Neville greeted me and Ginny briefly, barely sparing us a glance when we entered and I gave them a quick wave of acknowledgement and dug into my food. I tried to be careful not to get as bad as Ron, but I was really hungry. I didn't say much throughout the meal and when I was done I was exhausted. One-on-one time with Ginny could do that to a person. I said good night to everyone and made my way back up to my room. I quickly away all of my new things with a swish of my wand and changed into my pajamas.

Crawling into my bed, I realized that none of the boys had even noticed my hair at dinner. I gritted my teeth and decided that tomorrow I was going to make sure that I could not be ignored. I fell asleep with dreams of changes dancing in my head.

A/N: So I hope you liked it! Please Review, I could really use something positive in my life. ;)


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